Social Networking: No Vodka, No Flipping Off the Camera, Please!

It happens over and over:

I meet a young person at a conference, area school assembly or other event I am leading somewhere in the U.S. or halfway around the world.

At the event, a young person impresses me beyond belief. He or she is often bright, articulate and passionate about making a difference in the lives of others.

Then, somewhere along the way, soon after our meeting, the young person sends me a friend request on Facebook. I accept the request, happy to continue networking and mentoring with this young person.

And then, I look at this person’s photos and posts and am quickly disappointed and saddened.

Because the young person I met is in no way reflected online. That bright, articulate, motivated student comes across online as someone who drinks too much, curses too much, and who enjoys only the basest of entertainment.

Young people need our direction not only in their day-to-day lives, but in the managing of their online lives as well. They need to know that they must portray their best selves online.

Young people also must understand that what they say online can never truly be “removed.” Once something has posted, it is there forever – not just in the memories of others, but also in cached sites.

They also need to know that what they say now can affect them years down the road. Increasingly, college admissions representatives and human resources managers are using social networking searches to investigate the character and behavior of candidates they are considering.

Do you think, say, a young person with a profile picture where they are holding a bottle of vodka or flipping off the camera is going to get themselves into an ivy league school with that shot? Of course not!

Young people need to remember that what they post online is not anonymous. If they don’t want their Sunday School teachers, their football coaches, their grandmothers or their parents reading or viewing the material, then they shouldn’t post it. Period.

As we communicate more with young people about appropriate online behavior, we can go a long way in ensuring that they are showing their best selves online.